Ottawa's Rugby Player of the Year: Marie Bosco
Congratulations to Marie Bosco who has been named Ottawa’s Rugby Player of the Year. Marie, who has played for the Irish since 2001, been a member of the Ontario and Quebec provincial teams, and has attended several national camps, was named to the Nations’ Cup squad last August and received her first cap when she took to the pitch representing Canada against South Africa.
Marie will be honoured with the city’s other top athletes at Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Algonquin College.
The Ottawa Irish St. Patrick’s Day Run (10K, 5K, and 1km fun run) falls on March 17 this year and we’re hoping for record-breaking attendance to celebrate the occasion.
For registration details, please visit http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=…
The Run is organized and run entirely by volunteers so if you can help out, please contact ottawastpatsrun@yahoo.ca
More than 140 club members, friends, and family were in attendance at the OIRC’s annual banquet, which took place at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. The evening was a great success, honouring many of Irish’s best moments over the last year with photos supplied by RObert Paterson and awards handed out by coaches, Chris Seyler (junior boys), Anne Coyle (junior girls), Ritchie McQuillan(senior women) and Scott Hunter (senior men). MC’s Camille Jazwik and Greg Mosgrove did another tremendous job entertaining the crowd.
Thank you to everyone who attended.
2011 Award Winners
Mens
1st XV MVP Rob Turk
1st XV MIP Jason Leger
2nd XV MVP Peter Narbaitz
2nd XV MIP Peter Morrow
1st XV EORU1 MVP Kieran Potter
1st XV EORU1 MIP Max Schafer
Womens
Most Improved Players: Bianca Lapointe,Catherine Proulx-Salvas
Rookies of the Year: Tanesha Nicole Deacon, Thanuja Rukman
Juniors Boys
Most Valuable Players U-18: Sam Seyler and Ryan Chapman
Most Improved Player U-18: Jordan Charbonneau
Rookies of the Year U18: Patrick Wright and Freddy Nguyen
Most Valuable Players U-16: Leo Guilhem and Josh Doherty
Most Improved Player U-16: Brandon Simard
Rookies of the Year U-16: Frederic Fabi and Ben Washer
Juniors Girls
Most Valuable Player: Jess Mainwood
Most Improved Player: Riley Maitland
Rookies of the Year: Jenni Holt, Neema Yamunga
Club Awards
Nancy McLeod Award
Kendra Toby
Francois Dubois Award
Robin MacLachlan
Marc Lowry (Clubperson of the Year) Award
Steve MacNeil
Ottawa Irish Junior Women Win Nailbiter in the EORU Play-off Final
The Ottawa Irish played the Kingston Panthers in the final Junior U18 match-up of the season – and the Panthers were coiled to spring on the favoured girls in green for the Cup.
The Panthers pounced on the lead, scoring within the opening ten minutes as their three quarters took control, broke through several tackles, and streaked over 70 meters for the first try of the match. A conversion sealed their lead for the better part of the first half.
It didn’t look good for the Irish, who were smaller than the Panthers across the field. But they made up for what they lacked in size with speed and relentless attacks around the fringes. Well into the first half, their tenacity and solid skills eventually paid off, delivering a fourth phase ball that the Irish scrumhalf side stepped her way to the goal line to secure their first try.
The try went unconverted, allowing the Panthers to hold onto their lead, but not for long. The Irish answered with another try, this time from their nimble number eight. With the score at 10-7 at half, the game was either team’s for the taking.
A critical mistake on the Panthers’ 22 early in the second half let the Irish add three quick points. But the six-point deficit just seemed to make the Panthers hungrier for more. The battle raged fiercely throughout the second half, with the Panthers forwards continuing to punish the Irish, and the Irish backs several times making desperate tackles to stop the Panthers’ powerful back line.
It was probably the Irish fly half kicking powerhouse who most frustrated the Panthers’ surges, taking back every hard earned meter from the Panthers with accurate kicks to touch. The girls in green continued to wear down the opposition patiently, with coordinated attacks from the centers and unrelenting sniping around the fringes from the forwards. It was once again the dynamic Irish scrumhalf who scored the final try in the closing minute of the game.
Final score: Ottawa Irish 18, Kingston Panthers 7
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Chapman at U-19 CRC Tournament in Montreal
Congratulations to Ryan Chapman, who is competing in the under-19 CRC tournament in Montreal right now with the Lower Canada Voyageurs. The Voyageurs, who are a new team with players selected from Quebec and the Eastern Ontario, won their opening game of the tournament 31-25 against the Prairie Wolf Pack, followed by two hard fought games against the Rock and Ontario. The Voyageurs’ final game of the tournament kicks off at 3pm Saturday against the Ontario Blues.